Buccaneer Days at Two Harbors

Pirates set sail for a long-running Catalina Island fest.

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PIRATE TIME: There's two big reasons to love that Catalina Island has hosted a swashbuckling celebration for nearly a quarter century. One? Pirates, we don't need to tell you, are rather popular; look no further than the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise as well as "Talk Like a Pirate" Day (you likely saw a lot of pirate-talkers popping up on your social media sites on Sept. 19). But the other biggie, at least in our mind? The celebration is not in Avalon, as many of the larger Catalina parties are, but in Two Harbors, the rocky outpost's other city. We know, we know, calling Two Harbors "a city" is a stretch, given its Shangri-La-esque appearance and perfectly wee size and remoteness, but it is indeed other municipality on the famous island. In short, while a lot of us get to Avalon on a regular basis, Two Harbors is more of an effort, in every good way, and thus any visit deserves a rousing "arrr!" And the arrr-ing will be flowing on Friday, Oct. 5 and Saturday, Oct. 6 when the pirates take over for Buccaneer Days.

SEAWORTHY HAPS: Treasure hunts, tunes, and other pirate-related to-dos are part of the 23rd annual Buccaneer Days. Cost is twenty bucks, plus you'll need to get to-and-from Two Harbors. If you can't make the annual celebration, though, you can visit the town whenever. Seriously; can you believe the place pictured above is within reach of Southern California mainland? It seems so faraway and fictional to us, a small burg with two harbors so snug together. Hollywood, did you design this place? 'Fess up.